Saturday 16th July 2022

Epipactis leptochila, the Narrow Lipped Helleborine, has been extinct in Kent since 1972, when the last known plant was recorded. Repeated searches at all its previously known location all drew blanks.

A few years ago, I was sent the grid reference for their last known location, and this weekend I finally acted on it.

I invited the other admin and mod from my Kent Orchid group, and so their enthusiasm for looking for something new meant that a date and time was agreed, and we would go hunting.

And because of the increasing high temperatures, it would have to be early so to beat the heat of the day. But not so early we could not go to Tesco.

Half eight was agreed.

I had hoped a lay in, but a combination of being hot and bothered and four hungry cats meant I was up before six, feeding them, then sitting outside on the patio drinking a pint of iced orange squash.

Jools got up, we had coffee, so we could then go to Tesco as planned. Anytime before eight the store is quiet, and well stocked, so we run round getting lots of salad stuff, as the plan for next week is very little cooking.

Back home for bacon butties, which I cook while Jools puts the shopping away. Jools wasn't coming, so she said she would wash up, leaving me free to go. On the way back from Tesco, we nearly got trapped on the Duke of York's roundabout as traffic for the port backed up. We did get off and managed to get home, so before going out again I checked traffic, and then left.

Ian and Terry were waiting at the layby just off the A2. They both, and their wives, have had COVID in the last two weeks, and Ian had only just got a clean test. But they were fighting fit and ready for the hunt.

After exchanging news, we headed out across the fields on a well worn footpath. The first field had just been harvested of its hay, so was just short grass, but the second was in full bloom, and full of insects. We walked slowly across it so we could snap the months, butterflies and other bugs, even if it was too hot for them to bask any length of time, if at all.

Once we reached the far side of the field, we turned up a narrow lane, following a bridleway past a few houses and across more fields until we came to the wood.

The edge was solid, and we had to force our way through brambles and small trees to get in, all of us getting scratched. But in the wood it was all quiet, and straight away I saw no flowers on the woodland floor.

Not a good sign.

We walked across the wood, and saw nothing. SO, I programmed the last known location into my phone and walked the 400 yards to the spot. It was in the middle of a cluster of fox burrows, and the ground looked dead. Certainly no flowers growing, and no orchids seen, in fact all we saw were a couple of straggly Herb Roberts, so after an hour we gave up and made our way back to the bridleway, and back to the footpath.

On the way home, I called in at Barham to check on the Yellow Birdsnets that popped up three years back, but this year, none seen,. And the Broad Leaved Helleborines were few and far between, and not in flower.

I walk back down the track to the car. Theres no other walkers about, just the guy who lives near the old railway bridge washing his campervan.

In this heat.

I turn the car round and drive for home, going through Coldred, Eyethorn, then along the narrow lanes through West Langdon, East Langdon before going under the railw line and joining the Deal road and heading home.

It was half twelve and bloody hot.

Back home we have pork pie salad and pints of squash for lunch, and then we do our hobbies through the heat of the afternoon, which was for me, watching Le Tour.

As the weather hots up, the cyclists are riding south into the heat. It looks hell, and yet they seem to manage, they get lots of water and the race goes on.

Jools and I were eating out in the evening, another tasting evening at the Dining Club in Deal, and this time it was Italian.

We drove into Deal and found one of the last parking spaces, went into the Just Reproach for a swifter, sitting outside on a bench to enjoy our drinks, before walking down Middle Street to the Club.

Sorry about the capital letters, but this is straight from their website:

APPETISER: CRAYFISH GNOCCHI, SAGE MASCARPONE.

SOUP: HOME CURED HAM HOCK SOUP

SQUASH AND PARSLEY SALAD, BABY SPINACH, BROAD BEAN & PARMESAN, AGED BALSAMIC & TRUFFLE OIL DRESSING.

MAIN: PESTO ROASTED TUNA, PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI, POTATO & BASIL FRITTATA, CAPER & LEMON DRESSING.

DESSERT: AMARETTO & APPLE CRUMBLE, CAMPARI & PASSION FRUIT SORBET.

It was all wonderful, washed down by Chianti for me, and cider for Jools.

Jools drove us home, by which time darkness had fallen.

It was still hot.